Tuesday, September 30, 2008

If you've read my novel The River, you'll know a bit about the history of the Nahanni River area. It is home to many First Nations people, including the Dene, who are mentioned in my novel. The area has often been referred to as the "Bermuda Triangle of Canada". There have been reports of people who've gone missing, and the McLeod brothers who went there in search of gold were found decapitated--hence, Headless Valley.

This entire area is rich with history and stories. It is a vast wilderness in Canada's Northwest Territories, bordering close to the Yukon. It is beautiful, natural, free from major polution and one of Canada's 'national treasures', and it needs protection from mining and more.

The following is printed here with permission from Neil Hartling at Canadian River Expeditions & Nahanni River Adventures:

NAHANNI RIVER WATERSHED PROTECTION – THE JOB ISNOT FINISHED!

For years we have been campaigning for the expansion of Nahanni National Park to include the entire watershed. Research has shown that this is critical if the Park is to fulfill its mandate of protecting the species that move across its’ borders. The local First Nations want this protection to secure their traditional subsistence resources.

Last August we reported that Prime Minister Harper had announced the withdrawal pf the Nahanni watershed from mineral claim staking. This was an important step in expanding the boundary to protect the entire watershed. Unfortunately the final step of deciding on new boundaries and expanding the park has not been completed.

Now with a federal election, we have a chance to get our candidates to commit to getting this done!

Please take a moment and ask the Party Leaders and all your candidates if they will complete the process by expanding the boundary to that agreed upon by the Deh Cho First Nations.

You will find a draft letter and easy to use Email addresses at Nahanni.com and click on "What's New" on the top tool bar.